


Lux

by kirogaraii



Series: A Bitter Sweet World : ShuuKazu [10]
Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: BitterSweet AU : ShuuKazu, Developing Friendships, Gen, Hanging Out, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nameless Toucan From That One Doujin By Moa And Damu, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24879016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirogaraii/pseuds/kirogaraii
Summary: Doctor Iwamine and Professor Nanaki are sent on a preliminary inspection of the Kobe Kachoen Park. It’s a strange occurrence for both of them to be outdoors, with nature… Which leads to some new discoveries being made.Also the weather is so hot. So hot. Not in a sexy way, but they’re dying.
Relationships: Iwamine Shuu/Nanaki Kazuaki (Original)
Series: A Bitter Sweet World : ShuuKazu [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623460
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Lux

When they received the mission to run a ‘preliminary inspection’ for the class 2-3’s class expedition in the Kobe Kachoen garden, they  _ did _ get the memo that it’ll be a hot day out, but maybe not… quite to this extent.

Not even Professor Kazuaki Nanaki’s scandalous change from two blouses & a coat into a thinly sewed hoodie saved him from the scorching heat. Same goes for Doctor Shuu Iwamine, who outrageously changed his usual dress shirt, vest & autumn coat combo into just  _ one _ dress shirt. The two men, weak when faced with the elements, sat side by side in the shinkansen on their way to Kobe, delecting in icy water bottles bought in a vending machine back from the station.

“At the very least, this car has air conditioning, huh~?” Kazuaki laughed weakly while fanning himself like a tragic maiden. He has already cuffed his sleeves to the elbows, but he sure as hell wouldn’t cuff it any higher than that. “I am scared that the moment we’ll step off the car, we will be fried alive like eggs on a pan…”

“Mhm.” Shuu was digging through his spacious bag in search of a very specific document, hence the uneventful reply. “Let’s just do our work as quickly and efficiently as possible, without stumbling and whining around.”

“Waaah…” the other already broke half of the suggestion, “Y-Yes sir…”

And their journey was far from halfway there. They still had to cross a bridge from the mainland to Port Island, an artificial island housing hotels, museums, heliports, and parks, among of which is Kachoen. Kazuaki was giddy as a child earlier when he got Shuu to switch with him for the seat by the window, and now, he mustered up even more joy when he pointed at the window to announce, “Waah~ Iwamine-kun~ Look! This is the sea!”

“Yes, we are Japanese. It is quite a common sight here.” Shuu’s eyes were still focused on the bag.

“I’ve never been here before…!” Kazuaki let out some more gasps, “So cool! The shinkansen is so faaast!!”

“Volume, Nanaki.”

“Sorry.” he sat back down in his seat, embarrassed.

After about thirty minutes of the ride, they have finally reached their destination. Kazuaki’s anxious prediction from earlier was proven incorrect, obviously, as they managed to step out and head through the station in an uneventful, but nonetheless sweaty manner. Shuu tightened the ponytail behind his neck yet again, but not much can be done to save him from the uncomfortable heat.

“Do you…” wheezed Kazuaki, not even four streets into their journey, “Do you think the Kobe Kachoen Park has air conditioning, doctor?”

“No.” answered Shuu truthfully. “I don’t think so.”

He pulled out his phone and booted up a GPS. They weren’t lost yet, by all means, but the doctor was here for the first time as well, and he much prefers to have everything planned out and controlled beforehand. That is, he studied the trip from the school to the park already, but you can never be too safe.

—And in this scorching weather, he is absolutely in no mood to travel around town and explore new places/get lost.

Kazuaki could assume this much too, from how visibly frustrated Shuu and his eyebrows were.

“Bloody hell, I should’ve brought an umbrella.” The smaller man grumbled beside him. “Or a hat at least.”

Kazuaki glanced down at his co-worker as they made their way through the busy streets. From under those brown bangs, Kazuaki recognized that Shuu’s face was… “V-Very red.”

“Pardon?” Shuu looked up at the other, still knitting his brows. It looked more intimidating than it should.

“W-We’ve been barely out of the shade for ten minutes, and your face is very flushed, doctor!” explained Kazuaki with a smile, but still a hint of worry in that. “Are you dying?! Maybe, maybe you should cuff your sleeves too?!”

That observation stunned Shuu somewhat. Chances are that if he weren’t already, he would fluster. “Oh… I see. I am far from dying so far though. And I won’t cuff sle-…”

He eyed his right arm for a second, squinting. Then, cuffed them after all. It revealed his very skinny and very pale wrists. “…You are red too, by the way.”

“Eh!!?” Kazuaki touched his own cheek.

“Let’s just stay in the shade as much as possible.”

Despite both being descendants of the species  _ Alectoris chukar _ and  _ Excalfactoria chinensis _ , their bodies aren’t nearly as adapted to the climate of Africa, or south-east Asia.

They are both  _ A. chukar sapiens _ and  _ E. c. chinensis sapiens _ , respectfully!

Kazuaki pondered on this fact scornfully. Their evolutionary history is so fascinating and yet so stupid, as a reality. For a brief moment, Kazuaki not merely regretted that he was born, but also that he was born a sentient bird with low heat tolerance. What a way to stray off topic. Ah, ah?

“H-Hey!!” The quail suddenly realized that he was still standing even though his co-worker was already many meters ahead. “Wait! Wait! Iwamine! Don’t leave me behiiind!” he picked up in pace.

And so, the two vitamin-D deficient professors continued to make their way into the depths of the crowd. 

  
  
  
  


“…Woah…”

Dense flower walls of all kinds of species, and the reverb sounds of tweeting birds, everywhere and all around them. Kazuaki’s eyes travelled across the scenery with his mouth hanging open, as the smells and atmosphere filled his chest.

“…Kobe Kachoen…is truly wonderful~! Wow! It’s so refreshing here! Wow!” he sang, letting his brain take on all of this creative stimulation. It made his little writer heart flutter! “So cool! Iwamine-kun, have you ever seen something beautiful like this~?!”

The low-energy doctor was no longer distracted by his documents, and the temperature did not kill him as much as prior to entering the greenhouse, however his expression remained to be flat and inexpressive. Shuu sighed. “I may have. Although, admittedly…” his gaze steered towards red petals, “…The diversity of this collection is impressive.”

With his hands behind his back, Kazuaki skipped closer, and crouched down in front of the flowers. “Ahh, if our mission here is to find places to visit and explore with class 2-3, I don’t think I’ll be able to decide…! I could spend an hour in just this spot alone…”

“Please remember though,” Shuu calmly followed after him, “It isn’t just about watching flowers that look ‘beautiful’. This should be an enriching and meaningful experience, and an opportunity to teach your class even outside of the classroom.”

Kazuaki was quiet for a moment, his head turned away from Shuu. Just when the doctor began to feel uneasy, Kazuaki turned to him with a determined grin on his face; “I’ll definitely do my best to organize a meaningful school trip! I might… I may not look like it, but I love biology, and I’ll share as much as I can with my students!”

Shuu got a little bit startled by the sudden reaction, indeed, however he couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow at the words  _ ‘I love biology’. _

Seeing that, Kazuaki bashfully added, “B-But I’m not, doctor Iwamine, of course, so um… I’m not a genius like him, so um… We will definitely have a guide to lead us, here, and all…”

Obviously in order to become a teacher at St. Pigeonation’s, being good at just one subject isn’t enough. But out of all subjects, Shuu did not particularly expect Nanaki Kazuaki’s strong suit beside language and art to be  _ biology _ . An almost sarcastic smirk appeared on the doctor’s face. “Hoho.” he scoffed, “You love biology? What kind?”

Kazuaki pressed his lips and began to think. “Mm…The complicated math stuff like chemistry is always mean to me, but I like to analyze the physiological aspects of things, and evolution— E-Evolution particularly! I remember when I was a little chick, and I started to understand how we’ve evolved, I’ve been so impressed and fascinated with the concept ever since! The neurological aspect the most.

But most of all, I love ethology…”

“Ethology.” Shuu repeated in a murmur.

“It’s because of ethology that I’ve fallen in love with literature so much, o-or maybe, it was the other way around…?!”

Shuu squinted.

“Analyzing how feral and non-feral animals behave, what leads to personalities, and what drives people to their choices… It’s all so cool.

And I also love plants and animals!”

Kazuaki put on a smug grin which for one second, almost, gave off the impression of him being confident in something;

“I’m pretty good at recognizing plants! …Sometimes! And I know Latin!”

“My my. Could it be that I underestimated you, professor.” After a while of looking condescending,, Shuu’s smile seemed more genuine and pleased with the knowledge he just obtained. “Hmm. Why not prove it, then?”

“H-Huh?”

“Show me what you have to say about this… Let’s see…”

Pondering on what to pick, Shuu began to walk away. “W-Wait!” Kazuaki jumped up to his feet to run after the doctor, “Don’t leave me behind!”

“What do you know about this flower?”

Shuu was gesturing with his hand at about a dozen flowers in hanging baskets, all in varying gradient shades of purple, to pink and orange.

“Petunias, obviously!” Kazuaki chirped immediately. “In Hanakotoba, if you receive a petunia, it means as much as ‘your presence soothes me.’ They originate from South America, and I know that, because they are popular in Mayan and Incan folklore… I think… They have the ability to ward off underworld spirits!”

Shuu rolled his eyes at that last part, prompting Kazuaki to continue;

“A-And as for biology, um… Since they are from South America, I’m sure they can’t handle frost… There is one fact that was very interesting to me… Ah! Generally, all species of petunia are pollinated by insects, except one! There is one rare species of red petunia that is exclusively pollinated by hummingbirds!

I can also recognize that some of these…” Kazuaki inched towards a basket of petunias whose petals looked ‘torn’ compared to others, “This is surely a hybrid species, or in other words, nathospecies!”

“Nothospecies.” Shuu corrected with a smile.

“Ahh—! I messed up! I’m sorry!”

“Nothospecies, in botanical nomenclature, refers specifically to the hybridization of two separate species, and not two hybrids. Now how do you call the offspring of two hybrids, hm?”

“Uuuh…Umm…I-Is there a name for that? It sounds like something that exists, but I’ve never heard a name for it, um…”

“Interspecific hybrids.”

“Ehh? That doesn’t sound catchy at all! So banal…”

“And they are often sterile, therefore creating plants like this isn’t very efficient if you’re planning on making money off of interesting looking flowers.

But anyhow. Standing here is a waste of time, let us resume to our—”

Shuu’s words were interrupted by the quail dashing right past him, a little gust of wind blew by.

“Orchideas! Dahlias! Begonias! Fuchsias? Lobelias!” Kazuaki announced confidently as he skipped past each bush and hanging basket, “Ah, all of them, interlacing in beautiful shades and hues! It’s as if someone took a palette of paint and pressed it onto the panorama of this park, creating a breathtaking scene!”

“Nanaki, don’t act like a child…!”

Shuu did not raise his volume as much as Kazuaki, and his pace was also considerably subdued. He followed the other in an embarrassing-looking half-jog. Going any faster than this would irritate his weaker leg. “This fool…”

“I don’t know everything about every flower, but I know the flower language of most! Ohh, what are these red ones~?”

“Professor.”

Something moved in-between the brilliantly red shrubs of azalea. The color of the flowers was outstanding, especially in the noon sun. The contrast almost made Shuu squint, after all, everything else in their vicinity was grey. It wasn’t wind that shook the leaves, because there it moved again.

Blinded by curiosity, Kazuaki only smiled at it, and stuck his arm into the flowers.

“Flowers do not like to be touched on their petals, Professor, I assumed you’d know that much.” Shuu made an annoyed comment from behind him.

And suddenly, an enormous yellow beak swallowed the professor’s arm!

“UWAAA—!!” shrieked Kazuaki, nearly falling backwards right into the doctor behind him, “WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!”

Kazuaki ripped his arm out of the shrub, immediately fleeing away to hide behind Shuu’s back.

“WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!” repeated a bird in a more croaky and unnatural voice, the leaves thrashing. Suddenly, a head popped out of the bush. With the big beak in the forefront of course. It was a…

“Toucan.” said Shuu.

“TOUCAN!” said Kazuaki with fear rippling his voice. “A feral toucan! But it can speak!? Is it like Oko-kun!?”

“Yes!” The toucan answered, “How embarrassing!! I was intending on greeting the professors of St. Pigeonation’s, but you two ran away so fast from the entrance that I didn’t manage to get here! So, um… uh…

Howdy! Welcome! And hello! To the professors of St. Pigeonation’s! …About five minutes too late!” the toucan waved his wing cheerfully.

It didn’t amuse Shuu in the slightest. “I see.” He cleared his throat, “Yes, we are candidates for a school trip. Are there any spots here that you’d recommend as suitable for such a thing?”

“Hmm…” The toucan turned his head around left and right, indirectly pointing at the flowery panorama of the park with his beak, “Well, obviously, this is  _ Kachoen _ we’re talking about. You can view the beautiful flowers from the streets and paths… And…” He pulled out a little cup out of nowhere, showcasing it to Shuu’s face, “There’s also this!”

“What is that?” asked the doctor, taking the cup in his hand.

“When speaking of Kachoen, there is also obviously the up-close contact with beautiful birds! And if you give us this snack~ we will give you a more concentrated time!” like a scheme, the toucan smiled at Shuu.

“…Sooo…you’d definitely want to get in touch with me~ andusethissnackofcourse~!”

The toucan drooled at the mere sight of Shuu holding the snack box in his hand. His violet eyes slowly travelled down to the cup’s contents, analyzing the rice within it with intense, thoughtful, Iwamineous mysteriousness.

“……Oh…

I see how it is…

is that so…”

But just as the doctor was about to reach into the pocket of his pants, the cup was ripped out of his hand by Kazuaki. “Woah!! Really?! T-That’s so cool! Usually you’re not allowed to hand-feed animals at zoos, I think! Can I feed you, toucan-san? Is it really okay?” he bent down for the bird with a very hopeful expression. “Of coursey! Let me sit on your arm, professor quail~!!”

“Ahh! Are you gonna try eating my arm again?!”

“Noo! It was an accident!”

“Okay!”

Shuu watched the other two in silence. The grin on Kazuaki’s face grew bigger, but he actually felt nervous. “B-Being even accidentally bitten in the finger by such a powerful bill would be very painful~ I’d start bleeding a-and could die…” he nudged Shuu in hopes of getting his attention, “They have those spiky things that almost resemble teeth. I read that some biologists believe toucans used to be carnivorous, because of that. But nowadays they eat fruit… It also has spikes on its tongue, almost like a cat, that helps them flick pieces of food into their throats~…” he suddenly frowned, “Is that right? Did I say it right?”

“As far as I know, yes.” Responded Shuu, staring ominously at the feasting toucan, “There are many theories as to why toucans have such enormous bills. Additionally, they are partially made of keratin, which is the same tissue that human nails and hair is made of.”

“Woah! Really!”

“The bill helps with thermoregulation. Because their legs are stumpy and short, and wings aren’t designed to fly long distances across the jungle, the length of the bill also helps with picking food from the trees without too much effort.”

“Oi!” The toucan lit up suddenly, “W-Who are you calling stumpy?! You’re the stumpy one—!”

“Actually,” Kazuaki interrupted, “Chukar partridge legs are designed to run and climb big distances, because they usually live in the deserts and cliffs of Pakistan and stuff~ Their legs are very strong… and very red…” he eyed Shuu’s downside…

“…Ehm. Yes, but such details are also subjective to each individual. My legs aren’t very strong. Not at all, actually…And it is also a subjective trait for toucans to have longer or shorter legs. It depends on their genes and evolutionary stage as well.”

“That’s right!” The toucan announced while still gluttonously munching on rice.

The three birds—two professors, and one strange toucan that was simultaneously a zoo animal and a zoo keeper—went on to stroll through the park, exploring far and wide which regions are worth visiting in the future again with Kazuaki’s classroom.

Unfortunately, as the farther they went into the park, and arrived at the section with fauna rather than flora, the sun shone down on them as times approached midday, through the transparent glass greenhouse roof above them. The toucan left them eventually, and another park worker took his place to guide the professors and inform them about the park rules. Eventually, they left too. There are a lot more people here, and a lot more animals. Young doves and chickadees sprinted around the paths while their parents admired the zoo animals.

Walking for so long exhausted both of them. Very intensely.

That reddish sheen resurfaced on Kazuaki’s cheeks. He kept a hand on his forehead to push back the thick blonde bangs out of his face. It didn’t do much. They stopped, in order to give Shuu a moment to note something down about the mallards they’ve been passing by.

“They sure are enjoying themselves aren’t they.” Muttered the doctor, “The water must be an ideal temperature right now.”

“ _ Waateeeer… _ ” a wheeze came from the man beside him, “ _ I need water… Iwamine-kuuun~… _ ”

“Naturally.” Shuu put the journal aside into his bag, and for the nth time today, pulled out a bottle of water… bottle of-… well, it’s empty.

“…Mhm. I was the one that drank from it last.”

“It’s gone?!!” Kazuaki sounded so hurt that it almost worried Shuu for a split second, almost. “No! No way! But I’m so thirsty! I’m gonna—…!”

He turned sly eyes towards the pond and it’s quacking residents.

“…I’m gonna drink the pond.” said Kazuaki very seriously.

“Oh my, is the heat getting to you, professor?” Shuu scoffed. It was an ironic laugh at this quail’s foolishness. “We’re not in the desert. There is a cafe nearby, and I am sure that we can get more water there. As expensive as that is. I can’t believe that the whole two bottles have disappeared so quickly…”

Such ignorance from the doctor, who looks like he just exited a pool. And Kazuaki as well.

“Noo,  _ that _ cafe? That’s way too far away now! We’re almost at the end of the whole p-place!!  _ Uuu-waaah! _ ”

Saying that, Kazuaki fled the spot of pure sunlight that they’ve been standing in, and sat down on a miraculously empty bench beneath a shadow. Shuu followed after… becoming aware of the stiff, dulling pain in his hip that renders his right leg slow and weak. The doctor let out a sigh of very genuine relief once he finally sat down, beside Kazuaki.

They both remained there for a minute, breathing heavily and accepting the cool temperature of this shady spot.

When suddenly, Kazuaki spoke in a very low and raspy tone;

“…I need to…pee…”

“Well goodness gracious.” Such improper language. The inner prude awoke within Doctor Iwamine, he glared at Kazuaki. “Go then.”

“Yes… I know where the toilets are, I saw the sign, but…!” he turned to Shuu, (How awkward to make eye contact at a conversation like this,) “We can refill the water bottles there at the sink!”

“Oh. That isn’t a bad idea.” He had put the empty bottles back into his bag earlier, and now retrieved them again to hand to Kazuaki.

“Waa… C-Can we…” Kazuaki accepted the bottles with a worried expression, “Can we go together? I’m scared!”

“Scared? Of what?”

“There might be someone guarding the toilets, you know… What if they talk to me or they’ll want me to pay for entry?”

“…What kind of dystopian reality is that? Are you afraid someone will be suspicious of you, because you, Nanaki Kazuaki the button quail, look very threatening?” Shuu squinted. “…Or are you just making up excuses because you’re too lazy to go.”

“Argh! Ahh!” Those embarrassed sounds proved Shuu’s assumption to be right, only somewhat. “But I don’t wanna go all the way alone… What if I get lost?!”

A little amused, Shuu sighed. After an awkward pause that made his expression sink, his eyes traveled down to his shoes.

“Nanaki, it’s not a long way, you definitely won’t get lost… And I, definitely, can’t get up from this bench right now.”

“Huh?” It would seem that Kazuaki did not understand what the problem with Shuu’s physical state was at the time. However, the idea of delving into it only made a bitter taste tinge in his tongue. “Just go. I’ll be waiting for you here.” a straightforward conclusion.

Kazuaki gulped. He reminded himself that his throat is so dry that he technically didn’t gulp anything. “O-Oh. Okay. Um, uh… Okay, I’ll go… Do you…” Kazuaki asked with pleading eyes, “Do you promise that you’ll stay here and wait for me?”

“…Yes?” what a bewildering question. “Why would I leave?”

“Ah, I don’t know, it’s just,” Kazuaki knitted his brows very sadly. “…When I would hang out with other kids in school, they would always tell me to go fetch something… And then I’d leave and come back to see that they went away, because they were just trying to get rid of me.” he inhaled shakily, “S-So I got scared that you’d do the same thing… Ahh, I’m sorry, is this really stupid? I’m sorry…”

A somewhat unsettling atmosphere appeared out of nowhere, Shuu’s look was not exactly pokerfaced nor shocked. Kazuaki is such a cute pushover, that it’s not surprising at all that something like this is what’d happen to him frequently. But the way his demeanor became anxious and worried when Shuu suggested they separate for a minute made the doctor feel strange.

This becomes even more uncomfortable of a topic, because Shuu can definitely picture scenarios where he would pull something like that, to get rid of an irritating person in his vicinity. Chances are that he has done it to many people without any afterthought.

But right now, this isn’t the kind of situation that’d make Shuu do that. And Kazuaki isn’t the type of bird that he’d trick like such.

“…I was not intending on doing that to you. I have no reason to. We are on a work mission.” And it’s not like Shuu can run right now, even if a fire lit up right behind him. “You don’t have to worry, professor. I’m not leaving you behind.”

“Really? Okay!” It seemed like enough to make Kazuaki stand up from the bench and start jogging towards the main path. “I’ll be back—!”

Shuu watched the professor march away, away, on his mission to visit the toilet stalls.

And almost immediately, he felt like the temperature on his face cooled down. Oddly enough, it wasn’t relieving. He sat back on the bench, embracing the big black bag that he always carries around when he’s outdoors. His eyes stared blankly into the leaves of a tree right behind their bench. The sounds of talking, chirruping and chirping faded out for a minute… Until he became aware of this very specific pain in his leg. Not necessarily a stabbing pain, not burning, not pulsating either at the moment.

“…Neuropathic pain…That’s all it is.” Shuu whispered those words to himself, but it’s not like it’d make him feel better.

At this current stage, the pain is not crippling as much as it is annoying and inconvenient, giving Shuu the urge to twist is heel around in the dirt and bend down to massage under his knee. His blood flow should be okay, but this gesture is an instinct.

This is a nerve pain; paresthesia.

…Shuu sat back up and began to dig in that bag of his again. Pushing aside two folders with hard covers, he felt around the bottom of the bag.

“…I can swear that I put it here today morning…” he still mumbled to himself. “…I did not forget it, did I? Today morning I have been a little lackluster, because it’s been a while since I’ve been sent on a preliminary inspection, especially one with  _ Nanaki… _ But, it’s not like I could forget something as essential to me as a— ah,” he practically gasped, pulling something out, “There it is.”

Shuu had retrieved a cane. Not just any cane, but a retractable one, that therefore can fit very nicely in his bag and be used for spontaneous situations such as this one. He twisted and pulled one end, causing the little flashlight-like staff to expand. Well thank god.

Now doctor Iwamine will be able to reach the bullet train station without falling over. How great.

Unfortunately, nothing more can be done for the pain itself.

  
  
  
  


Kazuaki on another hand managed to find and use the toilets without much problem. The stalls were surprisingly but thankfully empty. He could refill the bottles at the sink…

But his hands were still shaking, and even though this room is so much colder than the outdoors, Kazuaki continued to sweat.

_ He won’t leave you. _

Kazuaki repeated those words in his head over and over again.

_ He said that he won’t, so it must be true. Stop worrying, stop worrying, stop worrying, you idiot! _

“T-T-There’s no reason to doubt him, is there?”

Kazuaki began to talk with himself, quietly enough that his voice did not echo across the room.

“He said it himself, there’s no reason why he should leave, because they are co-workers on a work mission together.

But I can’t stop shaking nonetheless…”

The water has been running for a minute now. The bottle is overfilled, spilling back into the sink. Kazuaki glared ahead of himself with blank eyes, letting the water stream down his shivering hands.

“What if he does leave? Then I’ll be all the way here alone. Alone, in Kobe, of all places! I’m all alone. I think I’d have enough battery on my phone to boot up a GPS and maybe find a way to the train station… But do I have enough money for a ticket to Littledove Hachiman City? I haven’t really eaten anything today. If I’d spend money to buy something to eat, I wouldn’t have enough for a ticket to Osaka. And the sun is killing me too. Everything is too hot. This summer is already awful. If I get lost in this city, I’d be more likely to lie down on train tracks and let something kill me, than try to search for a way home. Oh god, oh god, oh god, I’m so scared. I’m so scared…”

Two droplets trickled down into the sink, on top of Kazuaki’s hand.

“Why, why am I crying… Why am I crying already, when nothing happened? Why can’t I make myself move? How many minutes have passed?

H-How much more embarrassing and irrational can I get? Crying in a public bathroom while refilling a water bottle… and for no reason.”

His muscles stiffened. Kazuaki choked down a sob, forcing his mouth shut to stop breathing. If he makes a sound while crying, it’ll be even worse.

“I-I just don’t want him to leave me alone, too…”

Kazuaki finally straightened his fingers and splashed the cold water in his face. The cold startled him enough to stop weeping. His paralyzed body finally stopped panicking—and he made himself move.

_ Stop being afraid, stop being afraid for no reason! _

Kazuaki capped the bottles and dashed out of the little building. He ran. He ran all the way back to that spot where he parted ways with Shuu, and hoped with everything that the doctor will still be there. He’ll be unamused, or maybe even angry because Kazuaki took too long in that bathroom, but at least he’ll be here, and he’ll lead them home!

The road is not long. Especially when he’s running like a madman and doing his best to not crash into passerby’s. At least now his face is so wet that no one can tell whether he’s just sweaty, crying, or wet from tap water.

“Don’t leave me behind!”

  
  
  
  


_ Hm. Nanaki sure is taking his time. _

_ But I don’t intend on getting up and searching for him in case he got lost yet. I’ll give it another three minutes, maybe. _

His tongue felt like a dry leaf inside his mouth, but Shuu persisted on watching and observing the waterfowl in a pond across of him, and the way they swam around and called at each other back and forth to make sure everyone is in the right place.

This isn’t a calm place at all, the doctor found. There are noisy birds and mammals all around the park as well as whining children. And it seemed like one of those turbulent children is on her way to  _ his _ bench in particular. Shuu eyed the young dove without moving a muscle.

“Leave the snail alone, Yukari.”

“Can’t we bring it home?!”

“No! Bugs should stay in nature. And as far away from our house as possible!”

“Waaah~!”

The little dove held a leaf in her wing, on top of which rested a relatively large snail. It’s shell appeared reddish-brown, catching Shuu’s eye, and rather a cone shape. This intrigued Shuu as well.

“Look, there’s a bush right here, let’s leave it here.” the mom advised, and her daughter obliged although mournfully. “Can we get a pet snail in the future?” she asked, to which her mom cringed and stammered for a bit, “W-Well, your father is a raven, so there’s a chance that it won’t be with us it for very long…”

“That blows!” the daughter exclaimed, and grumpily stomped past Shuu’s bench. “Don’t make a scene now!” the mom followed after. And so, thankfully, they left Shuu’s line of sight very quickly.

But his gaze steered once more to that bush, where the girl abandoned her snail. Shuu did an awkward slide across the bench to get to the other end, and displaying peak laziness, without standing up, stretched out his arm really far to pluck the snail off of its bush. The doctor kept it on a leaf. Making direct skin contact with an unknown snail is risky. He stared deep into the red spiral… and gasped.

—Kazuaki couldn’t help it any longer, and chugged down nearly half of one of the bottles in one go. Running was a bad idea. He got so in his head that he mistook one path for another—but shockingly! Found the area where Shuu parted with him at last. He simply came towards the doctor from another direction…

Seeing of the doctor still sitting there nearly made Kazuaki cry again and picked up on pace to jog towards him.

“Iwamine! Iwamine—!” he cried, “Don’t leave me!”

“Hm? I am still simply sitting here.” mumbled Shuu. When the quail finally approached him closer, he greeted him properly.

“Did you manage to get lost despite the path layout being easy enough for toddlers to comprehend?”

“Y-Yes… A little bit… But I didn’t give up~!”

“Well alright then. What’s with the water?”

“Ah! Water!” Kazuaki finally revealed the breezy water bottles to Shuu. One only half full. “I already drank from this one… I’m sorry…”

Shuu took it from the other’s hand carefully, “From… this… one?”

“H-Huh? What’s wrong? Your face got so serious—!”

“…This bottle has been… mine. Until now, that is…”

Four eyes glared into the unassuming water bottle between them, deafening silence ensuing.

“Iwamine-kun…do you…” Kazuaki began carefully, “Do you have herpes?”

“Ngh-No! That is not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean~?” Shuu’s indirectness made a cheeky smile light up on his face. But the doctor only stared at him for a moment before reaching into his bag to retrieve a small packet of wet wipes. Medical, odorless ones. Prompting to clean both of the bottles lids, before taking a good swig himself.

Drinking from the same bottle as his co-worker didn’t strike Kazuaki as a controversial idea at all. He’s gotten absolutely used to doing it with Hitori, after all.

And so the quail plopped down next to Shuu onto the bench again.

“Careful!” He did so almost. Because before he could sit down, the doctor’s hand appeared right beneath him, preventing him from lowering any further, and firmly gripped Kazuaki’s thigh. “ _ KYAA! _ ” shrieked the professor and sprung upwards instead from the scary touch. “W-WHAT! WHAT HAPPENED!”

“You can’t sit down here. Use your eyes, professor.”

“Huh?”

Kazuaki looked down at the bench…

“W-Woah! A snail! How did it get here!”

“It reserved this spot while you were gone.” answered Shuu with a completely serious expression. “You’ve been gone for so long that this creature managed to crawl all the way up here and book this place. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“H…Huh…?”

“…That was a joke. I was telling a joke.” Shuu’s expression still did not budge. “Nevermind. This is a snail, as we already established.” he packed the bottles in his bag again, and instead picked up the leaf and it’s snail, carefully. “You may sit down now.”

“Thank you, sensei!”

The reddish brown shell still glistened marvelously, despite all of them being in a shady spot. Shuu held the snail inches away from his face, still analyzing every pattern on the little animal.

“The shell is conical. I can not exactly tell if this specimen is a terrestrial gastropod or a gastropod mollusk. However while you were gone, I managed to take a photo of it, and with the aid of the internet I’ve come to the conclusion that this might very well be…

A special that the English call the  _ ‘Chinese mystery snail’ _ .”

Kazuaki repeated that slowly too, “ _ Chinese mystery snail _ … That doesn’t sound like an ordinary animal name… It sounds like an epic fantasy animal, or something.”

“Mhm. Sometimes they are called Japanese mystery snails or Oriental mystery snails. These specimens are primarily remembered in Chinese culture, however. They are large, about the size of a clementine, their meat is reach in protein and low in fat. Moreover, in China it is also used as a medicine for treatment of digestive disease.”

“Woah! Now I see why you’re interested in it—!”

“Yes, I wonder how reliable that ‘medicine’ derived from it can be when met with digestive disease. Is it true or just gossip, I wonder.” Shuu sighed wistfully, turning the snail around in his hand. It’s elongated eye tentacles flinched when a light breeze flew by. “ _ Cipangopaludina chinensis _ …”

“ _ Medicus Iwamine tenet Cipangopaludina chinensis cochlea!” _

Kazuaki spoke fluently, with a heartfelt smile. Shuu blinked, confused, and slowly turned to look Kazuaki in the eyes. “ _ Quod verum est. _ ”

“ _ Ipse faciet medication ex cochlea. Ingeniosi medicus! _ ”

“ _ Gratias tibi ago. _ ”

Kazuaki tilted his head, “ _ Scis quam loqui Latine? _ ”

“ _ Sic… etiam, ego faciam. _ ” Shuu rose an eyebrow, “I simply did not expect to ever use it for any reason except medicine. Let alone speak in it with another bird… Your pronunciation is excellent. I’ve heard you speak phrases in English every now and then, but I didn’t expect your accent to be so good in Latin as well.”

“Ahh, ahh~” Kazuaki was blushing already, “Teehee~ Really? Do you really think so?”

“I think it’s objective, honestly.”

Well that made Kazuaki cover his face with his hands and mutter some more. “ _ B-B-Benigme~! _ ”

“Hmm. So beside English, what other languages do you actually speak fluently in?” Shuu was so enthralled now that he let his guard down and let the snail travel up his right hand without noticing.

“Ahh, but I’m not a fluent Latin speaker~ I-I’m sure that if I had to speak with someone who’s an actual expert living in Rome, I’d be crushed instantly… Um, um… I’m not as good in other languages as in English, but… I also know some things in French, and German… I guess, since I know Latin, I could learn Italian easily… I was considering trying to learn Chinese because it’s already closely related to Japanese, but I’m no good at all… And the same with Korean…”

“Languages… are your favorite subject, is that so?”

“Learning languages has always been easy to me, because I like to look for patterns in things… And since many languages stem from similar roots, it’s easy to look for what is associated with what… And studying the history of how languages evolve is so cool too…”

“So that’s why you like history as well.” murmured Shuu.

“Yes~ Cultures, languages, and history with them… Sometimes I get so hooked on a, a thing, and then I end up spending the whole night researching it, where it came from, how it came to be, what events in history led to the butterfly effect that made it, how it’s said in other languages…” Kazuaki had an intense look in his eyes, “And then, I realize that it’s four in the morning, and I have to get up in three hours for work, and I haven’t slept at all, and I want to die.”

“Mhm.” an unintentional, but very genuine little smile curled up Shuu’s lips. Relaxed and pleased, he said, “I live the exact same way.”

But then, a xylophone melody startled both of the professors back into the real world. They both glanced from side to side, to find where that nearby melody is coming from. Shuu realized that the snail has already crawled all the way up to his elbow and was on his way to get on his cuffed sleeve, so he calmly plucked it off and placed it on the leaf again. “It’s my phone!” called Kazuaki, taking it out of his hoodie sleeve. “It’s a notification… Ah, it’s the one you told me to set up! We have to get going! Our train will be there in thirty minutes!”

“Yes, exactly. We got caught up in our break for a long minute there.” Shuu glanced at the snail one more time, “…I have no way of transporting this guy back to Littledove Hachiman City in one piece. Besides, it should return to water. It’s been out of it for who knows how long…”

Shuu spoke directly into the snail’s little face, “I would love to study you, little thing. But it seems our fates are not yet written.”

He took his cane in one hand, and held the snail in the other, “Now then…”

When the doctor stood up, he felt an invisible thick rubber band wrap around the entirety of his right leg like a snake. He stood in place for a second, getting used to the sensation, and slowly began to walk towards the pond not so far ahead of them. The stiffness in his knee was apparent, because he could barely bend it. Even Kazuaki noticed it at this point.

“Eh! Iwamine! Are you okay?!” he picked up pace and reached the doctor.

“Don’t concern yourself with it. Once I get into the groove of walking, we’ll get there in minutes.” Said the doctor without much sugar-coating, “Let’s keep going.”

Kazuaki stammered for a moment, finally deciding to just let Shuu be and follow after him. Would you know it, in just a minute or two, their pace returned to normality.

Kazuaki would even argue that Shuu is faster than him, sometimes.

About halfway through the park, they were passing by the familiar faces of java sparrows, chirping and cooing in their birdhouses just by the side of the track. Kazuaki glanced at them fondly. Sparrows are really cute. So fluffy and jumpy!

“So you excel in Latin…” a low voice mumbled something ahead of Kazuaki.

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“Nothing. Nothing that’d be of value to you.”

“Eh~ well if you say so~…”

After passing through another enclosure, they have reached yet another crossroad. A sign stood beside it, labeling the directions in Japanese and English below it.

“Horse Ride, Camel Corner, Sheep Highs that way…” narrated Kazuaki, “And that way is back inside the park. So we keep going ahead, right~?”

“Yes.” Shuu resumed walking. This path led through a rather open space. On each side were large open fields of grass, albeit separated from the visitors and guests by tall fences. Also, the path had a roof over it, which is a relief.

Without more chatting, they continued to head towards the exit, through this roofed path. Unsuspecting and quiet, they didn’t even realize that a sheep is practically following them. It walked side by side Shuu, but of course separated by the crated fence.

“Umm, Iwamine, someone seems interested in you~” Kazuaki giggled.

“Hm? Oh.” The sheep stopped as soon as Shuu did. He stared at the bovine with an unreadable expression. “…Is it assuming that I have food on me.” a rhetorical question, “I don’t. So don’t get your hopes up.” he spoke clearly enough to make sure the sheep understands it. “Feel free to go back to your flock. I’m sure you’ll get your feeder refilled soon enough.”

The sheep stared into Shuu with its rectangular pupils for a long three seconds, and then… simply headed the other way, like the doctor recommended.

“W…Whaaat? It listened to you~? It listened to you just like that~?” Kazuaki marveled, watching the fluffy bovine go. “Does doctor Iwamine have a way with animals~?”

“Not that I know anything of it. Bovines are simply intelligent animals. Good memory. Cows certainly are known for their social complexities. They can form trust and friendships with other cows and their caretakers, as well as hold grudges against those who treat them badly.”

“Ehehehe, I guess you could say that cows are…” Kazuaki posed by holding up a hand sign, “ _ Bright & Massive! _ ”

“Perhaps.”

The doctor continued walking.

“W…Waaait! Did you get it? Did you get the referenceee? Iwamine—!” whined Kazuaki, running after the other.

  
  
  
  


“Well, we sure were fast this time around.”

A tad embarrassed, Shuu commented while looking at the clock in his phone in the entrance section of the Kobe Kachoen park. This was a pleasant area, with a little fountain, scattered rocks, lillies, and other greenery around, giving this area a very cute look and cool temperature.

“But it’ll be better to get too early to the train station and wait there, rather than wait here and risk being late for the train. Let’s go, professor.”

“W-Wait!”

Kazuaki was crouching in front of a gumball machine of sorts, shoving a coin into the slot. “Nanaki,” Shuu displayed some annoyance through his forced sigh, “Stop wasting time… or I’ll leave you here and go home by myself.”

The machine rattled, something tumbled down inside of it, and Kazuaki’s face lit up in childlike wonder. “Yes! I got it! Yay~!”

He reached into the slot and pulled out a ball. That was supposed to be it, but he came to find that a second ball came right after it. “Huh?”

Kazuaki got up, holding two mandarine-sized balls in his hands. “I seem to have gotten a bonus one on accident~ Wow, how lucky~ Wah-!”

Shuu grabbed the other man by his arm and dragged him towards the exit. A very bold move from him, without any comment to follow. The doctor let go once they were past the door frame and made sure that Kazuaki is walking by him without any more distractions.

_ Didn’t… Didn’t you say that you’d leave me alone if I didn’t follow? _

Thought Kazuaki, but ended up not posing this question. Instead he only looked down at the head of brown hair beside him, sticking those two balls in his pockets for now. They left the zoo without more squabbling.

At this hour, the sun seemed less intense. Even a daring breeze or two brushed past the busy streets as they ventured deeper and deeper, and finally reached their train station.

Kazuaki noticed that the partridge wobbled a little when he had to take a step onto the shinkansen car, but it wasn’t alarming.

The car isn’t as busy midday as it would be in the early morning or late night. The conductor mumbled something into the mic, and the professors took their seats in silence. Without a word, Shuu once more gave his seat by the window to Kazuaki.

And so they were seated. The doctor placed his bag in a shelf above the train seat, and finally allowed himself to sit down on the medium-class, mediocrely comfortable, shinkansen seat.

Shuu sighed, breathing out a phrase along with it; “ _ Et sic, ad perdix quiescit. _ ”

“ _ Tibi bonum est~ _ ” Chuckled Kazuaki. “I see you’re having fun speaking Latin, Iwamine-kun~”

“Fun?” his voice was grim, staring blankly into the ceiling, “I wouldn’t say so. I’d assume that it is you who finds more enjoyment in it than me.” But Shuu had a grumpy expression. In fact, he muttered something under his breath, and it sounded like a hint of jealousy.

For Kazuaki to be better than Shuu at something, a field of study such as this… It wasn’t jealousy. Shuu was, deep inside his chest, baffled. But rather than a cold and stinging feeling of something like envy, it felt like a weak candle light instead. Hearing Kazuaki’s near flawless pronunciation and smooth forming of sentences. His way of words tends to be impressive in Japanese sometimes, but now, in another language, it too was…

Shuu  _ wasn’t _ jealous. He was unimpressed in himself. Above all; he was impressed in Kazuaki. It almost felt like he admired him just now. It almost felt like the thought  _ ‘I’d like to surpass you, one day’ _ slipped inside his mind.

But externally, Shuu Iwamine simply pouted.

“ _ Ahh, malevolum. _ ”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing nothing! Teeheehee.”

Shuu tilted his head to squint at Kazuaki, but the other seemed occupied with those balls that he got from the machine back at the garden entrance. “What are those actually, if I may ask?”

“Hnnngh!!” Kazuaki made a pained expression as he focused all of the strength in his body into his hands, to unscrew the ball, which apparently was the mere packaging for something hiding beneath. And with a pop, the ball opened at last.

A large golden coin came tumbling out of it, nearly falling to the floor, but Kazuaki’s thighs caught it. “ _ Yatta! _ ” he exclaimed, “It’s merch! A coin!”

He held it up for Shuu to see, “Look! It’s got a red panda printed on it! There’s the logo, and everything…!

But there is still the other one!”

Kazuaki did his best yet again, making a somehow even more pathetic noise while trying to unscrew the ball open. Shuu watched it all, or at least the pain on Kazuaki’s face, with a mildly pleased expression.

The ball popped open, and yet again a coin came falling out. “T-This one’s also gold! And it has…” Kazuaki turned to Shuu with a smile, “Hey, it’s got a snail! Look!”

“I am looking.” said Shuu. “…Congratulations.”

“I got two instead of one… But I don’t know if I really need two souvenirs from the same place…”

Kazuaki held both of the coins in each hand. A snail, and red panda. They were so clean and shimmery, practically glowing when he’d tilt them and they therefore reflected sunlight. “H-Hey, Iwamine…” he suddenly got bashful, “Would you like one of these?”

“A…souvenir?” Shuu looked back at him. Making eye contact when their shoulders are practically touching felt strange to him, his gaze quickly dropped down to look at the coins instead.

“I-I mean, I saw that you have a lot of these…” stuttered Kazuaki sheepishly, “A lot of these, on your infirmary desk… So I assumed you  _ like _ souvenirs like this. But if you don’t want to, then, then, I’ll just take both…”

The doctor fell silent for a moment. The tension in his face loosened, if only slightly. For a second there, Kazuaki began to worry if he said something wrong. It seemed like Shuu was reminded of something, and delved deeper into that memory, behind his eyes.

“Yes. I do have a collection of such things, isn’t that right…” his tone was quiet, “If it’s no problem, then I’ll accept one, of course.”

Kazuaki shuttled the coin with a snail’s head into Shuu’s open palm. His empty, but most prominently tired eyes analyzed the print. Turning it around in his hands, the doctor did seem like he liked it.

“Thank you.” he said softly, and hid the coin in a distinguished pocket of his dress pants. That hand remained in his pocket, it still held onto the coin.

Witnessing that, Kazuaki decided to not comment, and simply smile to himself, feeling like he just accomplished something very special. Just like Shuu, he laid back, loosened his shoulders, and laid his head against the backrest.

The shinkansen started, but all the energy they’ve both spent and all the sweat they’ve both shed while discovering and noting down places for their work mission, robbed them of energy. Kazuaki didn’t have it in himself so enthusiastically fawn over how fast the train is, and the sights they’re passing by in the window, anymore. Just as he was about to pull out his phone, and start playing a rhythm game with the sound off, he glanced to the side, and saw that Shuu still hasn’t moved since that position.

Gently and slowly, he leant forward, to get just a glimpse of the doctor’s face, turned away from him.

His eyes were closed. His hand, still in his pocket, still clutched the coin that he received as a gift.

A warm feeling pulsated through Kazuaki’s chest; because Shuu seemed to be, for the first time in a while since, truly at peace. And judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he definitely deserves those moments of sleep any time he gets, and more.

He smiled, whispering one last time;

“ _ Et sic, ad perdix dormit. _ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Me again!
> 
> This chapter’s plot, I feel obliged to mention, is directly inspired by a manga drawn by Damurushi, where Nanaiwa go to Kobe Kachoen. Well, this fic is drastically and massively different from what happens in that manga, but that is basically where I got the inspiration for the location. And that toucan character, he’s from that short comic too.
> 
> For property reasons, this fic is not affiliated with the real life Kobe Animal Garden, please don’t sue me!?
> 
> This chapter sheds some LIGHT on Kazuaki-kun… A boy that believes himself to be talentless, in reality he has a gift for languages and writing. In fact, it surpasses even Shuu… How curious!
> 
> …Well, I am not experienced in Latin myself, and have used some dictionaries and tips when writing those exchanges in Latin… I hope that these are not cringeworthily bad. If you’d like, you can comment below if I made any grammatical mistakes and I’ll fix them…
> 
> But the biological informations shared here should be accurate at least! Q_Q
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you’ll continue to support these! Comments and Kudos mean a lot! QvQ Thank you! Bye!


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